


cold coffee, warm dreams

by warmboi



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: M/M, don't read lol, red writes a garbage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-24
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-06-10 09:58:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6951769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/warmboi/pseuds/warmboi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang eat that cardboard</p>
            </blockquote>





	cold coffee, warm dreams

**Author's Note:**

> i only keep this up to look at the comments

there’s snowy winter air filtering through an open window, somewhere in castle krakenberg, noticeable but not enough to cause more than a shiver down his back. it’s so cold on his skin.

 

leo’s lack of sleep is taxing but he doesn’t bother to change it. his retainers eventually attempt to coax him to bed in the wee hours of the night, occasionally succeeding but most times failing. the prince is tired but unable to rest, kept awake by worries and doubts that plague his mind to the point where the word “sleep” has no room to lie. he has lost strength from his lack of rest. he has little left, not even enough to simply rise and close the open window, and so he instead lies in cold. he elects not to fuss about the chill. leo knew his retainer, niles, slept in such all the time- perhaps the freeze was thrilling to the odd man, or maybe he was so used to it that the warmth of the blankets felt too hot to him. niles was so interesting, a puzzle leo would spend hours piecing together as a leisure activity, muttering the excuse that it was simply because of how _different_ he was.

 

niles and leo. it was a match made in hell, yet it stayed together, despite the pair’s contrasting personalities.

 

their differences were expected, of course. they were two different people with two different upbringings; one left a man broken and hardened, scars the least of his problems, the other left one empty and afraid, but too afraid to show such fear. they were similar in the way that they were unhappy, but different in everything else. niles couldn’t even dream of sleeping in a bed of fine silk as a child, and leo always wanted to escape the suffocating fabric, as it reminded him of the family he was bound to.

 

perhaps a shared bed would make all the difference.

 

the thought made leo blush. he was a small teenage boy when he first laid shy lips onto scarred, rough cheeks. he had frequent dreams of the thief. niles was so… interesting, holding a strange warmth to him that he let free when near his lord, a selfless, caring side of him that he never showed often. leo was but a little prince, yet already harbored such complex feelings for one who used to be a mere ruffian growing in the ghastly slums of nohr. he was told it was disgraceful when word first came to garon. he was furious, disgusted, revolted.

 

that was as far as leo dared remember his childhood. his memories of niles were bittersweet and he only wished they could have been sweeter. now leo had lost all essence of sugar.

 

the prince of nohr takes his coffee black, straight and simple as it comes, not daring to venture past bitterness after garon forced the will out of him. it was all he had grown used to, and didn’t plan on being rendered weak by anything otherwise. leo revolts at the taste of sweet. he was never prepared for the touch of sugared lips; he thought certain that they would never come.

 

before sweetness, leo was simply cold.

 

he wrapped his blankets around tighter, fighting against the freezing sigh of the winter. single dead leaves dropped from trees and found their way to leo’s window, wisping over the sill and onto the dark wooden floor. the ceiling is swallowed by shadows and is the only comfortable place that leo can rest his eyes. their lids refuse to fall.

 

“milord.”

 

the man’s voice was barely audible behind the door. it creaked open slowly, the hall lights filtering in through the grand entrance. leo shivered, and formed tired lips around the word “entrez.”

 

niles complied, silent. his hair was fussed and messy; it always was, but this one showed more of a tired aura than a careless, sloppy one. his feet guided him to the window before his brain instructed them to and his closed it with a slam.

 

“il fait très froid ici,” niles said sleepily. 

 

“ici,” leo said softly. “venez ici.”

 

the bed sunk under the retainer’s weight. leo sat up in his sheets, propping up his pillow against the headboard. he muttered a fire spell, words barely decipherable, and a little flame flickered to life on the candlestick next to him.

 

leo’s tired mind couldn’t find the right french words to speak to niles, so he reverted to english, his first language. “is there a reason you’re visiting?”

 

“...yes, i suppose. a trivial one. i wished to see if you were sleeping well,” niles said, voice thick with… affection, was it? “i see you aren’t. pray tell, what keeps you awake?”

 

leo shifted in his sheets, slightly distraught from the question. “that seems quite personal a question, wouldn’t you say, niles?”

 

“we share a bond closer than any- well, closer than most, at least. i’m your retainer. whatever troubles you, i will eviscerate it.”

 

 _eviscerate._ what a strong word. “there is not much you could do to help. you could kill me, that would be the only solution. as long as i am alive, they… my thoughts... won’t go away.”

 

“thoughts, is it? nightmares, like the hoshidan prince?”

 

“...now how on earth would you know about that?”

 

niles smirked. “that brown haired retainer of his is the one you should be asking. i simply overheard… some things.” he shook his head. “anyways, don’t avoid the question.”

 

leo sighed. “i… i see. um, yes. to answer your question, i don’t have nightmares. more like… general worries. they prevent me from sleeping, but don’t reach me once i do manage to fall asleep. if i do.”

 

“troubling. do tell what they are.”

 

“that’s personal.”

 

“oh?” the thief raised his eyebrows in amusement, though it lacked true emotion. the man just looked tired, even more so from trying so hard to look awake.

 

”are they about me?”

 

turning away, leo tried to ignore the quickening of his heartbeat. they were, in part, about niles. they weren’t negative, per se, but… complex. “no, they’re not.”

 

“liar.”

 

leo let out a low chuckle, hoping niles couldn't hear the nervousness in it. “you are too confident in our bond for your own good, niles. hear one of xander’s retainers call my brother such a thing… well. it wouldn’t be pretty.”

 

“you give me no reason to not have trust in our bond, milord leo. i’m glad we’re so… close.” and with that, niles drew closer to leo, physically. he only stopped his cat-like crawl when he found a spot on the bed right next to his lord. “tell me more about lord xander. is he the subject of your worries?”

 

“...you’re quite persistent, huh? fine.” leo took a slow breath, trying to puzzle out how he should word it. “he is a regal crown prince, talented to no end. it’s almost frightening. always leading the way, always the best out of all of us... he's leading nohr to prosperity. it's setting quite a high standard for me. he’s… he’s a good brother nonetheless. it's fine.”

 

niles chuckled. “he is lucky to have a brother like you. you regard him very highly. you seem to care about him.”

 

“well, i do. we’re family.”

 

“it’s nice. perhaps in another life, i could have a brotherly bond like that.”

 

“you wouldn’t want it. it’s much more mundane than you would imagine.”

 

“oh, but it would be nice to be loved, don’t you think?” niles let a bitter smile rise to his face in the warm candlelight. “i don’t know the feeling.”

 

“...is that so,” leo said, voice flat. niles didn’t know about his feelings. leo didn’t know if he should have felt relieved or saddened.

 

niles blinked. “you sound burdened. tell me, what’s really the matter?”

 

“it’s nothing. i’m simply tired.”

 

“you never did tell the truth about what _really_ bothers you. we’re close enough, right? i won’t repeat a peep of what you say,” niles said, a hint of longing in his voice.

 

“what is it you want to hear?” leo asked. “i assure you it’s none of your concern. besides, i told you part of it. are you not satisfied?”

 

“i would like to help.”

 

“you can’t.”

 

“then i would want to find out more about you. we are close, but don't know much about the other’s… personal lives, per se.”

 

“your excuses are quite pathetic, niles.”

 

“well, if one thing’s true, i do care.”

 

leo shook his head in defeat. “i… fine. i’m incredibly suspicious of this, but fine.” he glanced towards the candle, it's flames dancing over their faces. “i’ve been feeling… pressured lately. i feel like i need to do more, be more. i do not wish to be a useless, spoiled prince, forcing my brother to shoulder our kingdom’s burdens.”

 

niles raised his eyebrows. “you? useless?” he clicked his tongue. “you regard yourself too low. do not overwork yourself, my lord. you’ll reach an early death, which i would never wish on you.”

 

“death does not matter to me. my service has been in battle, nowhere else. as of now i am doing nothing. i must be as good as my brother.”

 

“you are wrong about that. he is a king, you are a prince. you are doing enough already.”

 

“but what if i was in a position where i would need to ascend the throne? i wouldn’t be able to do anything. i would drive nohr into the ground, past no return-”

 

“ _non_ sense. you do just as much good as the king. i don’t know where you’re getting these ridiculous ideas, but, leo, you are doing just fine. i wish for you to sleep well. it isn’t selfish to care for yourself. you do not have to live up to a king, as you are a prince. you will grow to handle more in time, not by force of will.”

 

“but if i had to-”

 

“listen to me, leo.” he took leo’s hand in his. niles’ hand was large and warm against leo’s cold skin. “you are a smart man. you are already prepared. look at reality. you are a prince, lord xander is a king. you will very likely to not have to ascend the throne in your lifetime. this isn't something you must worry about. do not let this wear you down until you really are as weak as you make yourself up to be.”

 

leo fell silent for a few moments. niles’ words were valuable, that was for certain. leo almost wished he had a notepad to copy them down, like a motto to live by. he chose not to comment on such, however.

 

“...did you just call me ‘leo?’”

 

“ah, i suppose i did. slip of the tongue. my apologies, milord.”

 

“no, no… i… i want- well, nevermind. i appreciate your words. they… they have helped me.”

 

niles let out a breathy laugh. “i’m glad. i like to be useful for that. anyways, is that all that burdens you?”

 

“not all, but it is all you should know.”

 

“really? hmm, well, i’m not trying to pry, but…” suddenly niles was mere centimeters away from leo’s face, a small smirk painted on his lips. “i don’t believe that.”

 

leo’s words refused to leave his throat so instead he stayed, lips slightly parted, shocked. they were so _close._ leo’s heart beat out of his chest. he knew niles could tell, but the thought made him more embarrassed. niles’ hand jumped to leo’s arm, surprisingly gentle as it traced over a stray scar that stretched across leo’s skin.

 

“the truth… i’m being honest,” leo managed to choke out.

 

“i’m sure. and you’re red as a precious little tomato for nothing, hmm?”

 

leo broke eye contact, facing towards the wall instead. “i can’t believe y-you’re acting like this to your… to your lord!”

 

“interesting… but we are close, are we not?” niles said, words dripping with smugness.

 

“and just a few seconds ago you were so serious…”

 

“things change. things like feelings. speaking of which-”

 

“ _gods_ , would you back off already?!”

 

“is that an _order,_ milord?”

 

“i...!” leo didn’t want to admit he didn’t really want niles to move. it felt good to have his crush seeming so interested in him, although he knew this was another one of niles’ tricks to get a rise out of people. this was… irritating, in a way; he wished niles wasn’t so hard to figure out. though, that was what made him so interesting in the first place.

 

“i guess not. then, how would you react to this..?” he stalked closer, until their noses were touching and their lips were just barely out of reach. leo stayed silent, face red, gripping his sheets with a ferocity that might as well tear them. niles laughed against leo’s face and tilted his head.

 

his lips were so _close._ leo would’ve begged to be kissed had he no dignity. niles’ eye flitted up to meet his. it was slit and mischievous, the watery blue-green mixing with the warm light of the candle.

 

“ah… your eyes…” niles’ smirk faded and he focused his attention onto leo’s pupils. “...heh… so pretty. truly entrancing…”

 

leo searched for words, and managed to piece together an awkward sentence. “...yours is quite beautiful too…”

 

“it is improper to compare my beauty to that of a prince, milord,” niles said, bringing his lips back to hover just above leo’s cheek. “especially one like you.”

 

leo bit his lip. “of all people to lecture me about what’s proper and what’s not… you’re such an odd man, niles…”

 

his hand went to his hair subconsciously, raking through blond locks out of nervous habit. niles' lips drew closer and closer to leo’s cheek, a micron at a time, it was so _irritating_ and leo just wished to shove the thief’s face onto his. niles’ lips finally met with leo’s smooth cheek and the prince subdued a gasp. his retainer’s lips were surprisingly soft, gentle, as if from a pampered nobel girl rather than a vulgar former thief. it was one of the endless surprises from that of niles.

 

his lips drew closer to leo’s but never made the mark, staying on leo’s cheek as if they were glued. leo desperately desired for the man to stop teasing him, but he stayed silent, embracing the gentle feeling for a few moments longer.

 

soon niles stopped, lifting his head. “is it nice?”

 

leo nodded, unable to form words. niles nodded in return. “the best for my lord.” my lord. not anything more is what the title implied. it didn't sit well with leo. he wanted to be _more._

 

 _“_ leo, can i kiss you?”

 

leo meant more. it meant they were close enough for titles to be just words. it was a good feeling, a warmth in the cold room. leo hesitated, not sure how to agree in just the right way. he was still uncertain if his retainer was still toying with him or not. it would be embarrassing, too embarrassing to bear; he’d lock himself in his room and never leave, even for meals, if this was to be just a game. leo hated that he even had such doubts. he wondered if it was even worth it in the first place.

 

“is that a no?”

 

“...i… i- i think… i…” leo stuttered over his words hopelessly. the other man’s smile faded to a disappointed expression.

 

“i understand.”

 

leo clung onto niles before he told himself to; not that he wouldn’t have done so anyways. “...wait. i…” he gulped down the saliva in his mouth before speaking again. niles waited expectantly, eyes drilling into leo’s skull. light reflected off niles’ face in such a brilliant fashion. it was mesmerizing. the man was incredibly handsome, that leo knew, but he never had the chance to look at it close up.

 

forcing his worries away, leo finally spoke in a timid voice.

 

“...yes. please.”

 

the beginnings of a smile began to tug at niles’ lips, obviously repressed before it could blossom. he hummed in approval, and creeped back closer to leo’s face once again.

 

“great,” he whispered, his breath hitting warm against leo’s skin.

 

and if those lips felt good on just leo’s cheeks, those lips were only better planted right on leo’s. niles was a good kisser, as expected, and didn't waste time with teasing; the kiss was more urgent, more filled with want. niles' lips tasted like bitter coffee and cheap apple market chapstick. it felt just right, and the taste rubbed off even more when niles slipped his tongue into leo’s mouth, making the prince almost drool. leo gripped onto niles' hand tighter, desperate for support. worst case scenario, he would faint. niles used his other hand to run through leo’s hair. it grew rougher as the kiss grew more intense, the need for breath growing and growing.

soon, they were forced apart by will of breath.

“n...iles…” leo whispered, still gasping for air. “i…. je…”

 

“...good?” niles asked, still searching for air as well, yet his breaths were more shallow, less frantic.

 

“do you..?”

 

“i do. is that… odd..?”

 

“no. i do too. stay… stay here for the night. it... would help me sleep.”

 

“of course, leo.”

 

leo. it felt so nice to hear in niles' voice, without the formalities, just _leo_.

 

the two kissed again, quietly, slower than before. there was no sloppiness, just the taste of coffee turned sweet with sugar that mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. magic currents of energy flowed from leo’s fingertips subconsciously, making contact with niles’ neck and sending shivers down his spine. their lips moved steadily against each other. it was warm between them, though cold in the room. the contrast felt pleasing to both men. finally the two paused for breath, and made eye contact through drooping, tired eyelids.

 

niles slipped under the blankets slowly, holding onto leo’s hand all the while. the candle was blown out, and the two closed their eyes. the room was still cold from the winter, and the two snuggled close, convincing themselves that it was merely to “stay warm.” they both knew that was a lie.

 

there was one last shy pressing of lips before they separated their faces, albeit grudgingly, but the two were exhausted and relished rest. leo especially, now that the hands of sleep tugged at him and he let them cradle him willingly.

 

“leo… one last question.”

 

leo stirred, placing a hand on niles’ cheek. “mmm?”

 

“what do you dream of?”

 

“what do i dream of,” leo repeated. he took a pause, considering the question. many things. excursions to the woods, times in the market. learning new spells, reading new books, lazy times in the library playing chess with his siblings. sometimes darker dreams, filled with memories of garon, comparable to nightmares. he had dreams of xander, and camilla, and elise, and of his friends, of maidens who confessed one sided love, of enemies, of encounters on the battlefield. these dreams made him shift uncomfortably in his sleep, memories of dodging and casting and swinging jolting him about. he had dreams of his mother. leo’s thoughts were filled with things, some real, some not, dreams of many people, though they all revolved around one thing, one idea, one… person. one person was always there to keep leo whole. his face was warm and hardened from battle and bow, yet it always showed kindness to leo despite the scars indirectly caused by the blond prince. it was a bit before leo spoke again, slowly.

 

“i dream of you.”

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> SHIT THE SPACING FUCKED UP but im too lazy to fix it. sorry!!!!
> 
> edit: it has been a month or so since i wrote this and let me just say, if i ever manage to post a work again, it will not be as big of a disaster as this was(hopefully), or at the very least will be better written


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